


Red Roses

by t_shirt



Category: Gundam Wing
Genre: Fluff, M/M, mention of lemon, sap, slight angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-30
Updated: 2019-12-30
Packaged: 2021-02-27 14:20:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,543
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22028464
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/t_shirt/pseuds/t_shirt
Summary: Hiiro’s life takes a turn when he walks into a flower shop and discovers a deeper meaning to life.
Relationships: 1+R, 1x2 - Relationship
Kudos: 6





	Red Roses

AU/Romance  
1+R, 1x2  
Slight angst, fluff, sap, mention of lemon

Summary: Hiiro’s life takes a turn when he walks into a flower shop and discovers a deeper meaning to life. 

“Hi, welcome to Maxwell’s. Are you looking for anything special today?”

“Um, yes,” Hiiro nodded gazing around at the many different bouquet’s and flower arrangements in the shop. It was a popular place for most of the guys he worked with as none of them appeared to be capable of remembering when their anniversaries or wives birthdays were until the morning of the event, but he had never had cause to patronize the little flower shop before. 

“Special occasion?” the girl behind the counter asked coming around to join him. 

“Just dinner,” he informed her gazing at a likely bunch of wildflowers. 

“Ah,” she smiled intelligently before educating him. “There is no such thing as ‘just dinner’,” she chuckled and he felt a bit better about his lack of direction. “How long have you known each other?” she asked examining a lovely bouquet of yellow roses laced with white daisies and purple lupine. 

“About a year.”

“And you’re buying her flowers for `just dinner`?” she smiled moving to a slightly smaller bunch of red roses dusted with ivory babies breath. 

“It’s our first date,” he explained bringing a sappy little grin to her rounded face. 

“Not to be pretentious,” she began covertly, “But if you’re not, you know, passionate over her I’d stay away from the red roses.”

“I respect her,” Hiiro replied uncertainly, but from the look on her face he had said the wrong thing to warrant the red roses. 

“I think you would do better to go with a nice corsage,” she suggested. 

“What about these?” he asked picking up a bunch of chrysanthemums to sniff. 

“Sure,” she nodded. “If you’re having dinner at the hospital.”

Hiiro was quite prepared to chuckle at the comment, but his amusement was interrupted by the sound of the bell on the front door which turned his attendants head. 

“Oh, hi, Duo,” she smiled and Hiiro started when he turned and saw the young man that had entered the shop.

“Hey, Hilde,” he smiled glancing at Hiiro. 

“I thought you were going to be late today,” she commented while Hiiro set the bunch of flowers on the counter as quickly as possible because he certainly didn’t want this guy seeing him standing there with a bouquet in his arms. 

“Sister Helen let us out early,” he explained and Hiiro’s face flushed when he looked him over and the half grin on his lips forced his gaze elsewhere, but looking at the tip of the three feet long braid dangling down his back was no less disturbing. “Did you find everything okay?” he asked tucking his pack behind the counter. 

“This gentleman is looking for something suitable for a first date,” the girl smiled. 

Hiiro suddenly felt as if the floor had dropped away when Duo shined deep violet eyes at him and smiled so sweetly every bloom in the shop paled in comparison while he asked, “Male or female?”

“Duo,” Hilde scolded slapping him on the arm. “Don’t tease him.”

“Who’s teasing?” Duo smiled offering his hand while Hiiro tried to keep his ears from catching fire. “I’m Duo.” 

“Hiiro,” he replied taking the offered hand, but the touch of his fingers was so hot he quickly drew away. “I’ll just take these,” he said indicating the bunch of chrysanthemums. 

“Is she a nurse?” Duo smirked. 

“Politician,” Hiiro responded automatically instantly wishing he could retract the comment when Duo’s smile faltered, but he recovered quickly. 

“Wealthy?” was his next question and he smiled satisfactorily when his patron nodded. “Mums are defiantly out.”

“It’s only dinner,” Hiiro protested, but followed him deeper into the shop. 

“A rich politician,” Duo summarized opening a cooler door. “You can’t give a classy lady like that mum’s,” he informed him pulling a small arrangement containing three red roses from the cooler to present. 

Hiiro paused to look at them glancing back over his shoulder at Hilde who was back behind the counter again before explaining, “She said I should stay away from red roses.”

“Did she now?” Duo smiled curiously returning the roses to the cooler. “Sounds like you’re not in any hurry to profess your devotion.”

“We’re just friends.” Why he was explaining this to a perfect stranger was as deep a mystery as Duo’s violet eyes, but he wanted him to understand. 

“You often date friends?” Duo chuckled moving to another door. 

“No.” 

Duo paused as if to size him up before taking two pretty corsages’s from the cooler. “The acacia is pretty safe,” he told him holding the flowers out for his inspection. “They’re a symbol of the pure love of chastity. Or, if you hope for a little more than her friendship,” he said presenting another corsage. “The orchid signifies refined beauty and the promise of unity.”

Hiiro was acutely aware of his eyes watching him while he considered the two flowers and his fingers trembled unreasonably when he reached out to pluck the acacia from his hand, but the relief that washed through him eased his mind when Duo suddenly beamed. 

“Do you really think she’s aware of all those meanings?” Hiiro asked following him back to the check out. 

“She’s a woman,” Hilde snorted. “You bet your sweet…”

“Will that be all?” Duo cut in smoothly. 

Hiiro nodded taking out his wallet while Hilde checked him out but he couldn’t help asking Duo, “If it’s a woman thing, why do you know so much?”

“Because I sell them,” Duo smiled leaning casually on the counter, which put him six inches shorter than Hiiro. It was the odd sensation of his stomach caving in on itself while he gazed down at him that wrinkled Hiiro’s brow. 

“Does your family own the shop?” he asked unwilling to leave just yet even though his purchase was bagged and ready. 

“Sort of,” Duo sighed standing again. “We’re run by the Maxwell Church.”

“The place on the corner where the orphanage is?” Hiiro inquired.

“That’s it.”

“Proceeds from the flowers help fund the school,” Hilde explained. 

It took only a moment to realize the white turtleneck and black jacket Duo wore was exactly like the one’s he had seen on the children playing outside the orphanage. “You know, I think I will take these after all,” he smiled laying the bunch of Mums on the counter, but it was the bright smile on Duo’s face that caught his eye. “For my table at home,” he explained though he wasn’t quite sure why. 

**

“Hiiro?”

“Hn? Oh, yes, thank you,” he replied leaning back to allow his date to refill his glass. 

“Where is your mind tonight?” she chuckled.

“What kind of flowers are those?” he asked casually admiring the corsage that was pinned to her blouse. 

“This?” she smiled touching the delicate blooms he had given her. “They’re acacia.”

“Do you know what they mean?”

“Chastity I believe,” she mused and Hiiro’s lips curled in a secret little smile knowing Duo had been right. “I take it you got a lesson on the meanings of flowers when you bought it,” she laughed lightly allowing the waiter to place her food before her. 

“I never knew flowers could speak,” he replied following suit. 

“Well, they’re lovely,” she sighed softly placing her napkin in her lap. “Even it they are a tad retroactive for us,” she commented before taking her silverware in hand and turning her attention to her meal. 

**

“Hi, Hiiro.”

“Duo?”

“He’s in the back.”

He tossed a quick smile of gratitude to Hilde before winding his way through the isles in search of his quarry, but his steps stalled when the sight of him bent over a bag of fertilizer wiped all thought from his mind. 

“Oh, hey,” Duo smiled dusting his hands off. “How’d dinner go? Did she like the corsage?” he asked, but Hiiro was having trouble recalling what he was talking about. 

“Excuse me?”

“You’re date?” Duo chuckled. “Did she like the acacia?”

“Oh, yes,” Hiiro replied while his cheeks pinked at his absent-mindedness. “But I think she would have been happier with something a little more promising,” he added on a nervous little chuckle that he quickly stifled because it made him feel dubiously awkward. 

“If you’ve known her for a year and this was your first date she might be hoping for more than is there,” Duo reasoned and Hiiro was momentarily stunned by his insight. “Not that it’s any of my business,” he added returning to his task. “What can we do for you today?”

Do? Umm, what could he buy? 

“Is it another dinner or something more intimate this time?” Duo asked in this sort of detached tone that rankled Hiiro’s mood. 

“A picnic,” he replied. 

The pause in Duo’s response seemed to indicate, “Hilde can set you up with some wildflowers,” was not the first thing that came to Duo’s mind, but Hiiro didn’t know how to address the evasion. 

“Are you a teacher,” he asked clumsily in his reluctance to end the conversation. 

Duo stopped to cock a brow at him before he replied with a simple, “No.”

“Then you attend the Maxwell school?” 

Again Duo paused, then turned to look him in the eyes and his face burned with the understanding that he was pushing his luck. “I live there,” he told him point blank. “Have since I was a kid.”

Hiiro dropped his gaze feeling awkwardly like he had touched on a sensitive subject, but his mouth apparently had it in for him. “You were never adopted?” he asked biting down on his treacherous tongue the moment Duo’s brow creased. 

“Apparently, I’m a bit too much of an individualist to fit into most peoples families,” he smiled though his tone was anything but friendly. 

“You seem alright to me,” Hiiro shrugged. 

“You don’t know me,” Duo pointed out. 

“I’d like to,” fell from Hiiro’s lips so easily he had no hope of sucking it back in and the sudden glimmer in Duo’s eyes set his chest on fire. 

“Alright,” he grinned. “I have some errands to run if you want to tag along,” he told him heading for the back where he hung his apron. 

“Will it take long?” Hiiro asked anxiously glancing at his watch. “I’m supposed to pick Relena up…”

“Relena Darlian?” Duo gasped rounding on him. 

“Yes.” 

“You aim high don’t you?” Duo laughed donning a black ball cap and snagging a bunch of wildflowers while he headed for the front of the store. “Isn’t she running for Governor next term?”

“Senate,” Hiiro corrected offering Hilde a rushed little smile while Duo got his bag from behind the counter. 

“How do you know her?” Duo asked leading them down the sidewalk at a brisk pace that energized Hiiro’s feet until he felt as if he were walking on air. 

“We attended the same college,” he smiled. 

“Attended?” Duo asked crossing the street. “As in past tense?”

“It was an accelerated course.” 

“They have something like that at home.” Hiiro made a mental note of the fact that Duo called the school his home while they paused so he could drop some mail into a box. “Father keeps telling me I should enroll, but I like to spend my time tutoring the little ones,” he rambled. It took a second for Hiiro to put it together and understand that `Father` was the resident priest. “Sister’s already overworked as is. It would be better if we could afford another teacher, but they cut our funding last year.”

“Isn’t there another way to get the money?” 

“Sure,” Duo grinned cockily holding open the door of the local United Way clinic. “Open a flower shop.”

Hiiro worked out rather quickly that if Duo was foregoing college to help teach the shop was obviously not taking up the slack, but the atmosphere inside the clinic didn’t allow for further inquires. 

“Duo!” three small children shouted, two from a tiny table where they were coloring and one from a bed. Hiiro felt a pang when he saw the IV inserted in her arm and the patch over one side of her face. 

“Hello, sunshine!” Duo laughed picking up the smaller of the two that had accosted him. “What are you drawing?” he asked peering down at the pages on the table. 

“Flowers!” the child sang and Hiiro tilted his head trying to find a flower in the mess of scraggly lines. 

“Oh, look!” Duo crowed excitedly setting her back on her feet. “There’s a daisy and violets too,” he smiled pinching a small bunch of the tiny blooms off of his bouquet to give to her. 

It was amazing how the little girl’s big, brown eyes sparkled at the gift, but the true wonder was the warmth the expression brought to Hiiro’s heart. 

“And what’s this?” Duo asked the boy who was a couple of years older than either of the girls. 

“A black dragon,” he grinned proudly. 

“As fierce a beast as I’ve ever seen,” Duo praised dropping a snapdragon on the page. “Watch him,” he warned. “They’re allergic you know.”

Hiiro snickered when the boy instantly snatched the flower away from his rendering as if the dragon might sneeze fire at any moment, but his mirth smoothed quickly when Duo handed him the flowers and headed for the bed. 

“Morning, lemon drop,” he smiled leaning down to kiss the tired little girl on the forehead while his eyes took in her glance at the flowers in Hiiro’s hands. “No real blossoms for you until you’re well,” he smiled kindly pulling something from his pocket that lit up her one visible blue eye. “But maybe you could take care of these for me until then?” he asked handing the little bouquet of silk flowers to her. Hiiro hardly heard the tiny `thank you` she breathed while she cuddled the gift to her chest, but the loving smile in Duo’s eyes had him a bit distracted. “How are you feeling?” Duo asked. 

“Better,” she smiled. 

“How much longer before we can take her home?” he asked the stern looking nurse behind the desk. 

“Another week.”

“That long?!” Duo whined and Hiiro smiled when the child laughed. 

“We get to come back tomorrow!” the other little girl crowed jumping back into his arms. 

“Yeap, and Sisters got all your make up work ready for you too,” he grinned laughing when she poked out her bottom lip. “Don’t worry,” he whispered, “I’ll help you catch up.”

“Why were they here?” Hiiro asked on a whim. 

“Chicken pox,” the boy informed him. 

“Couldn’t have them getting pox all over the other kids,” Duo teased ruffling his hair but his expression indicated asking about the bed ridden child would be a bad idea so Hiiro let it go. “Get some color on those daisies before Kyle’s dragon decides to eat them,” he told the girl setting her down to go speak to the nurse. Hiiro moved closer as Duo’s tone had dropped to an almost inaudible level but he caught the part about taking the injured girl home sooner. 

“She needs more time,” the nurse insisted. 

“Kyle and Betty go home tomorrow,” Duo reasoned. “She’ll be here all alone.”

“The quiet will do her good.”

“Or drive her nuts,” Duo sighed. “She needs to keep her mind off it.”

She regarded him for a moment glancing at where the child appeared to be counting the petals in her bouquet before sighing heavily. “That burn still needs a lot of attention.”

“I’ll see to it myself,” Duo grinned and Hiiro knew he had won when she cocked a half smile at him. 

“Wednesday then,” she agreed earning a quick kiss on her cheek that left it tinged pink before she asked, “Is this a new volunteer?” 

Duo’s brow rose when he turned to consider his silent companion, but Hiiro answered instead. 

“Hiiro Yui,” he smiled feeling that odd sort of confusion when she smiled coyly leaning close to Duo to proclaim…

“He’s a keeper.”

“I need to grab a bite to eat,” Duo informed him once they were back on the sidewalk. “Do you need to go meet your date or would you like to hang around and watch me scarf a late breakfast?” he grinned and Hiiro glanced at his watch. 

Half an hour. “I could use a snack,” he smiled. Relena would forgive his being late just this once. 

**

“You flushed their cat?” Hiiro laughed so hard he almost spit tea out of his nose.

“It bit me,” Duo snickered handing him a napkin. “I was only five.”

“It didn’t hurt it?” Hiiro inquired jovially. 

“No,” he replied tucking an escaping tomato back in his sandwich. “But it never came near me again.”

“No wonder you were never adopted,” Hiiro laughed but his eyes were closely examining the tip of Duo’s finger while he licked it clean. It wasn’t until Duo noticed his gaze that he realized it and jerked his eyes away. 

“I was a bit of a handful,” Duo smiled. “But Father never gave up on me.”

“So you’re a ward of the state?” 

“No,” Duo shook his head around a mouthful of food. “He adopted me himself.”

“Is that why you work at the school?” 

Duo smiled while he swallowed and washed it down with a long draw off his soda. “You want a tour?”

Hiiro brightened at the thought but then sagged, “I can’t today, I have to meet…Oh my god! Relena!” he gasped jumping from the table. How long had it been?! Damn it! Over an hour!? How did it get so late? “I have to go,” he explained hastily taking two steps toward the door before Duo called after him. 

“Hiiro!” 

Hiiro pivoted so fast he almost slipped going back to snatch the bouquet of wildflowers from Duo’s hands, turning for the door again then whirling back while he pulled his wallet. 

“Don’t worry about it,” Duo smiled, but he dropped the money on the table anyway. 

“For the school,” Hiiro rushed to explain. “I’ll come by later!” he tossed over his shoulder hurrying out the door and Duo laughed when he popped right back in. “How late are you open?”

“Four,” Duo chuckled. 

“Damn, tomorrow then!” and he was gone. 

Duo sighed softly turning his attention back to the table where his smile grew wide when he saw that Hiiro had left enough to pay for his meal.

**

Four a.m. Why was he still awake at four a.m.? Because every time he shut his eyes he saw Duo’s face and started thinking about the school and their financial problems and the way Duo laughed at him when he spilled his tea at lunch and… 

Things hadn’t gone well at the picnic. No matter how hard he tried to concentrate on Relena the conversation kept circling back around to the flower shop and school. Finally, after several failed attempts to distract him into gazing at the sky she gave up and talked shop. He was happy that she was shocked to hear the schools funding had been cut and took some comfort in her offer to look into the matter, but it was tacked onto a demand that he relax and forget about it for awhile. A mission he had sorely failed. 

It was so odd. The little church school had been on the corner for years, but he had never given it more than a passing glance. Now, after meeting Duo and visiting the flower shop it was all he could think about. He wondered how long Duo had been a resident of the orphanage. At least since he was five from what Hiiro already knew. Had he known his parents at all? Hiiro didn’t know his own, but he grew up with an uncle so he had family. He couldn’t imagine what it must have been like being sent off to live with a different family every few months. He had just managed to close his eyes when the alarm crowed the dawn. 

“Shit!” he gasped realizing he must’ve already hit the snooze several times, because he was already half an hour late. His plans to stop by Maxwell’s would have to wait until lunch. He made it just in time to be five minutes late and knew he must look a wreck when Tammy, the receptionist, gaped at him. 

“Ohayo,” he nodded reaching to straighten his tie only to discover he had forgotten to put it on. 

“Mr. Yui?” Tammy inquired cautiously. 

“Yes?”

“Did you want me to call the Ohio branch?” 

“What?”

“Hiiro!”

“Shit,” he grumbled dreading the inevitable interrogation. 

“What in the world got a hold of you?” Wufei snickered examining the crumpled clothes, lack of a tie and bloodshot eyes. 

“Couldn’t sleep,” Hiiro evaded heading for his office. 

“Couldn’t?” Wufei smirked falling into step beside him. “Or she wouldn’t let you?” 

“I am not sleeping with Relena.”

“Well, that much is obvious,” Wufei laughed catching the door before Hiiro could shut it in his face. “I’ve heard those political types can get pretty wild.”

“I wouldn’t know,” Hiiro sighed dropping his things on the couch. 

“Yeah, you’re right,” Wufei sighed grinning while he dropped onto the couch as well. “If she’d have stayed over you wouldn’t have made it in at all.”

“Don’t you have some work to do?” Hiiro asked irritably. 

“We,” Wufei corrected chuckling when Hiiro raised a brow. “You forgot about the Bernstein meeting didn’t you?”

“That’s today?!” Hiiro groaned getting up to plop in his chair. “But that’ll take all day!”

“Since when is that a problem for the workaholic of the year?”

“I wanted to…I was hoping to take lunch early.” Damn it. He’d never get done before the shop closed. 

“Got a hot date?” Wufei grinned. 

“What?” Hiiro gasped flashing on Duo’s face. “No! Of course not. It just…what do you care anyway?” he growled tossing a wad of paper at his coworker. 

“Well, whatever it is you better put it out of your mind because this deal is going to ensure your paycheck for the next six months,” Wufei reminded him rising to leave. 

“Yeah, I know,” Hiiro, sighed. “Hey, Wufei?”

“Hm?” he replied pausing at the door. 

“Are you familiar with the Maxwell Church orphanage and school?”

“It’s the one on the corner,” he nodded. 

“What do you think about making a contribution?” Hiiro asked distantly. 

Wufei’s brow furrowed curiously, but he wasn’t adverse to the idea. “Corporate donations are a decent tax break,” he reasoned. “I don’t see why not. What’s got you on the do good road all of a sudden?”

“I found out they lost some of their funding,” Hiiro explained. 

“Alright then,” Wufei nodded. “I’ll mention it to Quatre. I’m sure he’ll be more than willing,” he smiled giving him another quizzical look before leaving, but Hiiro never saw it as his mind was too intent on finding a way to ensure Duo’s smile. 

**

“He’s not here.”

“Is it his day off?” Hiiro asked not quite grasping the idea that Duo wouldn’t be at the flower shop. 

“He took the day off to bring Casey home,” she informed him. 

Wednesday, of course. He hadn’t had a chance to come by the day before as his meeting ran well into the evening and the fact that Duo would be settling in the little girl from the clinic on Wednesday had completely slipped his mind. 

“Why don’t you visit him at the church?” Hilde smiled. 

“No, that’s…you don’t think he would mind?” Hiiro mused. It would be a good chance to have a look around. 

“I think he would positively vibrate with joy,” she snickered tucking a long stem yellow rose in the arrangement she was working on. “Don’t tell him I said anything, but he was pretty disappointed when you didn’t show up yesterday.”

“Really?” he grinned frowning when he realize he had no idea what he was grinning about. “I think I will drop over,” he nodded. 

“Tell him he owes me a Saturday morning,” she called after him. “This is supposed to be my day off!”

He nodded, but let the information run in one ear and out the other while he turned toward the Maxwell Church. This was a very good chance to look the place over and meet the priest in charge. His feet took him quickly down the block and across the street while his eyes made a note of the boy he had met in the clinic, Kyle was his name?...playing in yard before he climbed the steps to the main assembly hall. 

“May I help you?” a young nun asked gently and he was momentarily stunned by the brilliant color of her eyes. 

“Um, yes. I was looking for Duo?”

“Are you a friend of his?” she asked indicating he should follow her. 

“Yes.”

“He’ll be in the girl’s dormitory,” she told him when they reached the back of the cathedral. 

“How is she doing,” Hiiro asked bringing a warm smile to the young nun’s face. 

“Do you know Casey?”

“Duo took me to meet her a couple of days ago,” he explained. 

“Poor thing,” she sighed. “It was bad enough to be injured in the fire, but to have lost her family as well.” Hiiro swallowed the lump that had risen in his throat while he made a silent vow to make sure this place received whatever funding it required. “But Duo will bring her smile back,” she sighed confidently. “He has such a way with the children.”

“He seems to have a way with everyone,” Hiiro interjected and she paused to grace him with the oddest expression before giving him directions and leaving him to find his way. 

He passed several pairs of children going to and froe that looked him over appraisingly before he made his way past the school rooms and up the stairs to the girl’s dormitory. The place was clean even if the classrooms where equipped with ten year old equipment. The elevator was broken, but the stairs were well marked and decorated with the bright paintings and artwork of the students. He found Duo just where the nun said he would be, in the third bedroom on the right where he was reading a book to the slumbering Casey. 

“Duo?” he whispered softly. 

“Hiiro?” Duo beamed clearly shocked by his presence. “What are you doing here?” he asked setting the book down carefully so as not to wake the girl. 

“You promised me a tour,” Hiiro smiled when he joined him in the hall. 

“This is sort of a bad time,” Duo grimaced glancing back in the room. “She doesn’t like to be alone,” he explained at Hiiro’s crestfallen expression. 

“She’ll sleep for a little while wont she?” he reasoned hopefully. 

“All right,” Duo smiled. “But just the school. I don’t want to leave her for too long.”

Hiiro grinned throughout the thirty-minute tour delighting in every whimsical story Duo told him about his life growing up at the school. There was a huge gouge out of one doorway where he had apparently gone through a sword phase and, being the bright, agile youngster that he was, forged himself a blade out of one of the kitchens aluminum cabinet doors. It was confiscated however, when he went after a boy who had smacked one of his friends, hence the damaged door. 

“I’m sorry I didn’t make it by yesterday,” Hiiro told him while they made their way back upstairs. 

“No problem,” Duo shrugged. “I figured you probably decided to spend some time with your girlfriend.”

“She’s not my girlfriend,” Hiiro countered smiling when Duo smiled at him. “I just forgot the most important meeting of the year that’s all,” he chuckled. 

“Sounds like something has you distracted,” Duo laughed along, but quieted when Hiiro stopped at the top of the stairs. 

“Yes,” he confessed softly turning to look down at him. “But it’s not Relena.”

Duo swallowed as he gazed up in consideration while he stammered, “W…what is it then?”

“This school,” Hiiro replied rushing down the steps when Duo suddenly spun and sat down. “Duo!? Are you okay?”

“Geez,” he laughed wryly, but Hiiro’s concern was not appeased. “You are one crazy piece of work.” 

“What?”

“I thought,” Duo began, but stopped to look his companion dead in the eye before visibly steeling his nerve and confessing, “I thought maybe it was me.”

“Well, yes…”

“No,” Duo cut him off. “I thought you were attracted to me.”

“What?!” Hiiro gasped sliding all the way back against the wall. “Why would you think something like that? You’re a man! That’d be…”

“Gay?” 

Hiiro would have swallowed his gum if he’d had any. 

“Duo? Are you saying you’re…”

“Yes,” Duo sighed heavily. “I am.”

“You mean you…like to like…kiss guys and stuff?” Hiiro asked in open wonder and Duo laughed. 

“Well, I’ve never met one I was willing to try with but, yeah,” he nodded. “Hopefully, someday I’ll find the right one.”

“Duo,” Hiiro quirked a brow. “That’s just…you know…weird.”

“Ever try it?” Duo asked through a cocky smirk. 

“Hell, no!” Hiiro barked making both of them laugh when his cheeks lit up. 

“Then you have no basis for judgment.”

“That is not fair,” Hiiro chuckled. “You said you’ve never kissed a guy before either.”

“Not for lack of wanting to,” Duo shrugged. 

“You’d really like it?” Hiiro wondered while his throat went dry when Duo turned wide violet eyes upon him and replied…

“That would depend on the guy.”

“How about me?” He went pale when he realized what he’d just said, but there was no retracting the question. 

“I think you need to think very hard about what you just said,” Duo laughed standing, but something inside Hiiro’s chest refused to let the moment pass. 

“Wait!” he barked seizing his arm. “Could we?” he asked uncertainly. “I mean…I’d like to try it if you would.”

The moment Duo took to think about it seemed like an eternity and Hiiro didn’t breathe again until he softly nodded and leaned closer to him, but all the air seemed to have disappeared when Duo’s lips settled on his. 

“You’re right,” Duo breathed. “It is weird.”

“Can we do it again?” 

“What?” Duo chuckled. 

“Well, that wasn’t like a real kiss was it?” Hiiro reasoned pulling him down to sit beside him on the steps. 

“You’re damn pushy for a straight guy,” Duo laughed. 

“I like to keep well informed,” Hiiro smiled. “May I?”

Duo’s face flushed red, but he nodded nervously tilting his head agreeably while Hiiro placed his mouth over his and a soft gasp escaped Duo’s throat when a warm tongue licked out and slid across his lower lip, his body unconsciously moving back when the warmth of Hiiro’s fingers slipped along his jaw, his palm so hot it took his breath away as he cupped his face and begged entrance to his mouth. 

“Hiiro…” he breathed and the two syllable sound left just enough of an opening for Hiiro to invade and taste the sweetness that lie within. 

“Duo?” Hiiro gasped when he suddenly rolled away and was quickly climbing the stairs.

“I have to go.” 

“Wait a minute!”

“Don’t you have a date or something?” Duo sighed in frustration. 

“I’m not seeing her again.” 

“You should go home and think very hard about what you want,” Duo told him turning to leave. 

“Duo.”

“What?” he sighed heavily. 

“I stole you’re first kiss,” Hiiro grinned taking a great deal of satisfaction in the way Duo tried to hide both the smile and the blush before he walked away. 

**

“You want to cancel our date?”

“Sorry,” Hiiro sighed into the receiver. 

“Well,” she breathed resignedly. “I suppose we could reschedule.”

“I’m afraid that won’t be possible,” he told her reluctantly. 

“What are you saying?”

“I can’t see you like that anymore,” he explained. 

“May I ask why?” she inquired clearly hurt.

“I’ve…met someone,” he confessed, but his mind still reeled at the thought that the someone in question was a guy. 

“I’ve known you for over a year and you’ve never shown the slightest interest in anyone now suddenly you’ve met someone?” she grumbled. 

“I’m sorry,” he said again. “I know the timing is unfortunate, but I can’t ignore what I feel.”

“Of course not,” she sighed. “But do you really think giving up on us is the right thing to do? Your feelings changed once, they could change again.”

“I really don’t think this feeling is ever going to change,” he told her marveling at the fact that he honestly believed it. 

“I see,” she replied. “Well, keep in mind that I am not willing to give up that easy. I’ve waited a year; I can wait a little longer.”

“You should move on,” he told her. “You know I care for you, but…”

“Not that way,” she finished on another heavy sigh. 

“I’m sorry.”

**

“Hi, Hiiro. What can we get you today?” Hilde asked brightly. 

“These will do,” he smiled at her gaping expression when he laid a dozen red roses on the counter. 

“Hi,” Duo smiled coming to join them, but his happy demeanor dropped like a stone when he saw the roses. “Looks like someone’s getting lucky,” he said forcing the grin back onto his lips. 

“I hope so,” Hiiro nodded paying the exorbitant amount to the suddenly worried looking Hilde. 

“I guess you figured it out,” Duo breathed already moving back into the store. 

“I think so,” Hiiro commented picking up the bunch of red blooms. “These mean true love, right?”

“True love,” Duo echoed distantly. “Resplendent beauty…passion.”

“Then they should say exactly what I want them to say,” Hiiro smiled holding the bouquet out to Duo and Hilde dropped the bag she had been preparing for them. 

“What are you doing?” Duo asked suspiciously. 

“Well,” Hiiro chuckled advancing a step. “I’m trying to ask you out, but apparently I’m not doing it very well.”

“Are you serious?” Duo smiled accepting the generous gift. 

“I was sort of hoping those might earn me another chance at that kiss,” Hiiro smiled stepping forward again. 

“Bribery,” Duo laughed through the sudden mantle on his face. 

“You are so beautiful when you blush,” Hiiro praised reaching to cup his burning cheek in his palm. 

“You seem to have come full circle awfully fast.”

“It’s a short trip from me to you,” Hiiro smiled moving so close he was in danger of crushing the roses in Duo’s hands. 

“It’s going to take more than roses to put me in your bed,” Duo grinned evading his questing mouth. 

“How about we start with this?” Hiiro suggested taking his face in both hands and kissing him soundly. 

“Well, at least I wasn’t jilted for some other girl.”

“Relena!?” Hiiro gasped rounding to find her standing in the doorway, arms crossed, head hung low and one foot tapping out her distemper. 

“Why is it all the good ones are gay?!” she raved turning on a frightened looking Hilde. 

“Relena,” Hiiro began again, but the young woman held up a hand to quiet him. 

“I did not follow you,” she defended pulling an envelope from her bag while she grumbled. “Christ, over a damn year and he likes guys. Mr. Maxwell?” she asked and Duo snapped to attention. 

“Yes?” 

She paused when she got a good look at him and her right brow arched while her eyes spoke to Hiiro before the expression vanished. “It has come to our attention that funding for the Maxwell Church was denied last year due to budget cuts. This was a mistake. The cuts were meant only for schools that charge for private admission. As your agency is not only non-profit, but depends solely on donations and grants it should not have been in the list. Therefore, I have been instructed to present you with a check for the full amount of the grant, which will be available again in two months time. I suggest you and your staff begin work to reapply at your earliest possible convenience.”

“Are you for real?” Duo gaped accepting the papers. 

“It is not the goal of this government to starve the needy and neglect the unfortunate,” she replied turning to leave. 

“Relena!” Hiiro burst rushing to her side. “I’m sorry. I never meant…”

“Hiiro,” she smiled laying a soothing hand on his cheek while her eyes darted back to grin at the stunned Duo for a moment before she quietly replied, “All I ever wanted was for you to be happy,” and then she was gone. 

“You dumped _her_ for me?!” Duo gaped still standing numbly in the middle of the floor with his arms full of red roses and a very big check.

“No contest,” Hiiro smiled. 

“Hilde,” Duo said snagging Hiiro by the hand while he headed for the door, “Don’t wait up.”

**

“We have to get up.”

“Nnnnnn, five more minutes,” Duo groaned snuggling down in his lover’s arms. 

“You’ll be late for class,” Hiiro snickered kissing his temple. 

“Your fault,” Duo’s muffled reply sounded. 

“You didn’t have to agree,” Hiiro purred nuzzling his ear. 

“Like I’m gonna say no with you breathing in my ear?” Duo laughed. 

It had been six months since their first date and though they each complained that they were moving much too fast, they found themselves holed up celebrating the new apartment they now shared. 

“Don’t you have finals today?” 

“You sure know how to ruin the mood,” Duo grumbled rolling over to get up, but Hiiro pulled him back in and lay on top of him. 

“What mood might that be?” he grinned. 

“The one that’s attached to this,” Duo replied lifting his hips to demonstrate his meaning. 

The money from the grants along with the generous donation from Winner enterprises was more than enough to hire more teachers and staff at the Maxwell church leaving Duo free to enter college, but he and Hiiro each spent several hours a week doing volunteer work around the school. 

“Can you make up the tests?” Hiiro breathed pressing him into the bed to prove the depth of his interest. 

“They’re not till this afternoon,” Duo breathed moaning deeply when Hiiro threw caution to the wind and kissed him while he slipped between his legs. 

He thought about the events that had brought him there while they slowly made love, and all the wondrous things they had discovered along the way. Nothing was quite as joyous as simply laying with the beautiful soul that had so completely stolen his heart. 

“I love you,” he whispered while he pushed his lover closer to the sun and Duo was quick to repeat the sentiment while he clung to him tightly, but no words could possibly have conveyed the emotion they shared. He smiled while he recalled the day he had first told him not with words or ill-conceived deeds, but with the timeless sincerity of the silent promise of the red, red rose. 

owari :)

**Author's Note:**

> Write it, draw it, create it, sing it, SHARE IT. ~ Sunhawk 2019


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